Forward Faith is a blog of music and ideas for a progressive faith

Developed by Keith Sanford, Ph.D., Forward Faith provides new music and in-depth discussion of ideas from a faith perspective based on liberal, progressive theology.

Discover this unique combination of music to sing, ideas to discuss, and a progressive faith perspective to ponder.

Explore the Music

Come explore music and ideas about:

Progressive: Open to new ideas, embracing change, broad minded, valuing the pursuit of knowledge, not bound by traditional viewpoints.

What is Progressive Faith?

The type of faith that is most important and most relevant in today’s modern world may be different from what most people think about when they think of faith. It may be different from how people understood faith a hundred years ago, or a few thousand years ago. It is not a faith that requires believing in an ancient, outdated, scientifically indefensible concept of God. But it is a faith that . . .

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How music for a progressive faith is different from other religious music

Most religious music tends to express theological viewpoints that could be described as conservative or traditional. While much of this is beautiful music, it does not provide a musical option when people want to express a faith that is more progressive or inclusive . . .

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How music for a liberal faith is different from other religious music

Keith Sanford, Ph.D.

Keith Sanford studied music at Musicians Institute in Hollywood California and at Los Angeles Valley College, completed a B.A. in religion at Seattle Pacific University, completed a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Michigan State University, and is currently a professor of psychology at Baylor University. He teaches courses on scientific approaches to data analysis, and a course on history.

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Forward Faith has resources for. . .

Religious leaders can incorporate the music and ideas from Forward Faith into worship services or activities. The posts include songs along with lyrics and lead sheets so the songs can be sung. There is an in-depth discussion of each song providing ideas that can be used in sermons. There are discussion questions for use in small groups. For those from Christian traditions, most posts include a section on relevant passages from the Christian Bible.

Christian Theology

While Forward Faith is inclusive of different religious perspectives and traditions, I would describe my own personal faith background as Christian. Although the influence on my music is sometimes more subtle than overt, my songs contain Christian metaphors and allusions to passages from the Christian Bible. This is not because I want to argue for a specific . . .

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Why a progressive faith needs songs about historical events

It is somewhat rare for songs to address historical events, rarer for songs to reflect a progressive faith, and even rarer still for songs to do both. However, there are three reasons why a progressive faith needs songs about historical events. First, songs can teach us about. . .

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Why a liberal faith needs songs about historical events

History of Psychology, Racism and the United States

The History of Psychology, Racism and the United States is an “illustrated audio-book” (a video lecture series with numerous visual illustrations) that Keith Sanford developed as part of a graduate-level course for clinical psychology students. The entire 18-part series is currently posted and available for viewing.

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